Truth Seeking Elements of Creating an Effective Truth Commission
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Truth Seeking Elements of Creating an Eff ective Truth Commission Cover Image: San Salvador, El Salvador. Portion of a public memorial by Salvadoran artist Julio Reyes that was erected in 2005 as part of the Monument to Memory and Truth. The monument lists the names of over 25,000 re- corded victims of the Salvadoran Civil War. The monument is part of reparations to victims of the armed confl ict, fol- lowing recommendations in the Report of the Commission on the Truth for El Salvador. Photo credit: Edwin Merches Truth Seeking Elements of Creating an Eff ective Truth Commission 2013 Edited by Eduardo González and Howard Varney i This publication, originally called “Thematic Studies on Truth Commissions,” is the result of a technical coop- eration project titled “International Cooperation: Development and Widening of Transitional Justice in Brazil (BRA/08/021),” a partnership between the Amnesty Commission of Brazil, the Brazilian Cooperation Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, the International Center for Transitional Justice, and the United Nations Develop- ment Program, as detailed in UNDP CPCS BRA 10-12412/2010. Its goal is to encourage and empower the perfor- mance of truth commissions and similar mechanisms, as well as encourage citizen participation in securing the right to truth, memory, reparation, and non-recurrence. The team of ICTJ experts who prepared this document includes Eduardo Gonzalez, Howard Varney, Clara Ramirez-Barat, Marcie Mersky, Kelen Meregali, Stephanie Morin, and Joanna Rice. The BRA/08/021 project was coordinated by Paulo Abrão, Marcelo D. Torelly, and Rosane Cruz. Amnesty Commission of the Ministry of Justice of Brazil The Ministry of Justice’s mission is to ensure and promote citizenship, justice, and public safety through a joint eff ort between the state and society. As an agency of direct federal administration, the Ministry of Justice has competency in the following areas, among others: the defense of legal and political rights and constitutional guarantees; judicial policy; and free and full legal, judicial, and extrajudicial assistance to the needy, as defi ned by law. Brazilian Agency of Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs The Brazilian Cooperation Agency, which is part of the structure of the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs (Itamaraty), has the task to negotiate, coordinate, implement, and monitor programs and technical cooperation projects in Brazil, run on the basis of agreements signed by Brazil with other countries and international organizations. To fulfi ll its mission, its foreign policy is guided by the SRM and the national development priorities, as well as defi ned in sectoral plans and programs of the government. International Center for Transitional Justice ICTJ assists societies confronting massive human rights abuses to promote accountability, pursue truth, provide repara- tions, and build trustworthy institutions. Committed to the vindication of victims’ rights and the promotion of gender justice, we provide expert technical advice, policy analysis, and comparative research on transitional justice measures, including criminal prosecutions, reparations initiatives, truth seeking, memorialization eff orts, and institutional reform. United Nations Program for Development UNDP is the global development network of the United Nations, present in 166 countries. Its core mandate is to com- bat poverty and promote human development in the context of democratic governance. Working together with gov- ernments, private sector and civil society, UNDP connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to work with people in order to build a dignifi ed life. This is accomplished by working together on solutions drawn by member countries to strengthen local capacity and provide access to human, technical, and fi nancial resources through external cooperation and an extensive network of partners. Eduardo González and Howard Varney, eds., Truth Seeking: Elements of Prepared by ICTJ. Published originally in Portuguese by the Creating an Eff ective Truth Commission. (Brasilia: Amnesty Commission of the Amnesty Commission of the Ministry of Justice of Brazil. Ministry of Justice of Brazil; New York: International Center for Transitional Justice) 2013. © 2013 Amnesty Commission of the Ministry of Justice of Bra- 75 pages. zil. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro- This publication is also available in Arabic, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. duced in any form or by any means without full attribution. Contents Chapter 1. The Right to Truth ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1 What Is the Right to the Truth? .........................................................................................................................................3 Aspects of the Right to the Truth .......................................................................................................................................3 Pursuing the Right to the Truth .........................................................................................................................................3 Limitations of the Judicial Establishment of the Truth .......................................................................................................4 Why Does the Truth Matter? .............................................................................................................................................4 Sources of the Right to the Truth .......................................................................................................................................4 Chapter 2. What Are Truth Commissions? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Objectives of Truth Commissions ......................................................................................................................................9 When and How Are Truth Commissions Established? .......................................................................................................9 Truth Commissions Established Outside the State Apparatus ..........................................................................................10 Key Characteristics of a Truth Commission .....................................................................................................................10 Ensuring the Strength of a Truth Commission .................................................................................................................11 Procedural Fairnesss .........................................................................................................................................................12 Truth Commissions and Reconciliation ...........................................................................................................................12 Chapter 3. Ensuring the Legitimacy and Independence of a Truth Commission ............................................................................................................................................ 13 A Consultative Approach to Strengthening Legitimacy ....................................................................................................15 Political and Operational Independence of the Commission ............................................................................................16 Risks of Political Dependence ..........................................................................................................................................16 Financial and Operational Autonomy ..............................................................................................................................16 Guiding Principles for Maintaining the Independence of a Truth Commission ................................................................17 Selecting Commissioners .................................................................................................................................................17 Selection Criteria for Commissioners ...............................................................................................................................18 Good Practices for Appointing Commissioners ................................................................................................................18 Chapter 4. The Legal Mandate of a Truth Commission: Objectives, Functions, Competence, and Powers.......................................... 21 Objectives of a Truth Commission ...................................................................................................................................23 Functions ........................................................................................................................................................................23 Competence ....................................................................................................................................................................25 Powers, Penalties, and Protections ....................................................................................................................................25